In Too Far
by plastiscine
Summary: After Darren's show at Irving Plaza, he drops by Lea's room to give her something. Learren. Smut. May potentially turn into a chaptered fic but right now is only a one-shot.


Lea had spent the evening moping around because she hadn't gone to Darren's show at Irving Plaza. The self proclaimed New York girl had passed on the chance to see Darren's sold out show, which was something she had secretly been looking forward to for days. She'd been so excited that she'd even gone out of her way to tell Darren how much she was looking forward to seeing him on stage in his element. He smiled brightly at this, downplaying it severely but thanking her just the same.

The reality, though, was that because they were filming the movie the very next day, and the set list was going to be very strenuous on Lea vocally, it was decided by her (and really, most everyone else) that she should take extra care to not strain her voice so the filming would go off without a hitch.

She'd smiled and waved to Darren before he'd set out to his gig, calling out for him to break a leg before spending the remainder of the evening in her hotel room, drinking copious amounts of tea and watching reruns of friends. It was hard for her to say what it was that felt so disappointing, because it felt so all-encompassing. Lea and Darren were both respectively involved in their own relationships. They'd found common ground in feeling how difficult it sometimes was to make these things work when there was such a distance between themselves and those they cared about. Darren was her friend. They picked fruit off one another's plates on their flights, he was always making her laugh backstage, and she was eternally teasing him for always forgetting which hand to hold up to form the iconic "L" their show constantly utilized.

It was unfair that she couldn't see him on stage, being absolutely brilliant, moving a sold out crowd with his words and his voice. Naya was even going, and had confided in Lea that Darren had asked her to join him on stage during the encore. Lea smiled but was unable to quell the jealousy she felt inside of her. It was like being hit square in the chest. Why hadn't he asked her? Didn't he think she would have said yes? Didn't he want to? And when she'd told him about the change in plans- about how by adding Don't Rain on my Parade to the repertoire for the show it meant that she was going to have to stay in- Darren seemed unfazed by this news.

"It's no problem, maybe next time." He'd replied quickly, before heading out the room while doing something on his phone. Texting or dialing a number- Lea hadn't been able to tell.

The night of his show she'd fallen asleep earlier than she could ever remember falling asleep since she'd been cast on Glee. Apparently she'd done so with the television on, hugging a pillow close to her chest and ignoring her phone entirely. She didn't want to text or speak with anyone. She didn't want to explain to her boyfriend for the third or fourth time why she couldn't see him tonight. She didn't want to hear about what she was missing. Lea prided herself on being very work-oriented and professional. This was her career, her life, and there were the fans who were expecting her to give them a show-stopping performance and she'd never disappoint them for anything.

That was what mattered. Not these feelings she can't shake.

Initially she was unsure of what had woken her up, and she squinted at the clock by the bed, reading the time but not really believing that it was accurate. It was 3:17 am. Then it happened again. A loud knock against her door. Lea had absolutely no idea who it could be, and it worried her that maybe something had happened, maybe an emergency of some sort. The thought of this alone caused her to rush out of bed without thinking twice, her hands immediately tugging the door open.

Standing there was Darren, looking disheveled and kind of… sweaty. His shirt clung to his chest and he looked like something out of a dream she'd had once but quickly decided it would be better to forget about.

"Darren?" After she asked, she realized it was silly. Yes, it was very obviously Darren, he was wearing that Freelance Whales tote bag he hauled around everywhere and he was looking at her strangely. He blinked a few times, and Lea realized in her haste, she'd simply flung the door open without getting a robe on. "Oh um," she backtracked further into her room, frantically looking for where she'd left the robe last and found it flung across the arm of a chair. Lea slipped into it quickly, pulling it on over her shorts and tanktop before hurriedly combing her fingers through her bangs which she didn't actually have to see in a mirror to know they were a mess.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck in earnest.

"I was just sleeping. It's okay." Lea tied the sash of the robe around her waist and looked at him curiously. "Is there something wrong?" "Wrong?"

"Well, I mean. It's three in the morning and you're knocking on my door… I figured you'd be passed out after the show tonight."

"It's sort of impossible for me to sleep after a show like that. Then there was the afterparty, too-" he stopped himself suddenly. "But right now, I'm here."  
>That seemed reasonable to Lea and they both shifted awkwardly in the doorway. The silence between them isn't weird, but it felt heavy and Lea was unsure where to go from there.<p>

"Please don't take this the wrong way but… what are you doing here Darren?"

"That's… an excellent question." He paused, thinking about his words before actually saying them. "I guess I just wanted to see you. It was pretty lame not being able to have you there tonight."

"That's surprising. I figured you would be fine with Naya and everyone else there." After she'd said it, Lea realized how bitter and jealous she sounded, and she furrowed her eyebrows, a little displeased with herself for being so candid with him. "I just mean, you didn't seem that upset I couldn't make it."

"I know I've had a few drinks after the show but… are you being serious right now?"

"What?"

"_Lea_," Darren took a step inside of the room, "I wanted you to be there tonight. More than anything, actually. I was doing my best not to make you feel guilty about prioritizing work above some show of mine. Your voice is absolutely beautiful, and people are going to come to hear you sing and you're right to do what you can to make the show the best it can be. I actually really dig that about you. You know what's important and you take these things seriously. You were right to stay here." Darrentakes another step closer, and Lea neglects to take a step back as well in order to maintain this distance between them. He was so close, she could feel how warm he was, and she could see his face more clearly now, his eyes staring into hers. "I wanted to ask you to be on stage with me, but I knew that would have been selfish. I wanted you there, Lea. Standing on that stage, all I did half the time I was up there was think about you."

"Then why did you just walk out of the room completely engrossed in your phone when I told you I couldn't make it?"

Darren smiled at this, seeming a bit more relaxed now that he'd said his piece to her. "I wasn't doing anything on my phone."

"But I saw you-"

"You saw me pull my phone out of my pocket and pretend to look really interested in a really old text from my manager." Darren dropped his bag somewhere by his feet and Lea didn't know why her heart was beating so fast, or why she felt like she was suddenly the prey on one of those national geographic shows where they'd show footage of animals in the wild. The look on Darren's face reminded her of some sort of wild cat and she felt kind of like the gazelle. He hadn't even so much as touched her, but despite this her heart was racing. He seemed undeterred by her silence, and assumed she hadn't understood what he'd meant. "I was pretending it wasn't a big deal."

"Why would you do that?"

"The same reason you were pretending not to be jealous just now."

Lea jumped, startled. The backs of her legs had hit one of the chairs in the room, and the door had shut behind Darren, the weight of it on the hinges caused it to swing lazily back towards the frame until it clicked, indicating it was locked. "I wasn't jealous," she insisted, but the sound of her own lie sounded feeble and transparent even to her. She was sure he knew better than to believe it.

He was close to her now, so much so that she could even smell the sweat of his skin but it's not all together unpleasant. Truth be told it made her fingers dig into the arm of the chair she was leaning against, almost willing her hands to listen to her instead of reaching out to touch him.

"I think you wanted to be there tonight, and not just because we're friends or cast-mates or because you're just always so supportive of what everyone else does. It's not just because you'd have liked to sing on that stage with me because this is your city and it's Irving Plaza. I also know you're kind of annoyed you were in this room by yourself while everyone else was out having fun."

"You've been drinking." She could smell the faint traces of alcohol on his breath. It isn't strong at all, he must have been drinking far before he'd ever reached her room but it was still there.

"Yeah. It's kind of a funny story. Believe it or not, even after knowing you all this time, you still kind of intimidate the hell out of me." He laughs and for a second Lea thinks it sounds a little nervous- until his fingers are trailing along her arms before they find their way to her hips and she thinks she's forgotten how to breathe. "If you want me to go, I'll leave. Just tell me to go."

During the moments of silence that follow, Lea looks at Darren intently, observing the way his hair is all sorts of messy and how his fingers are gripping at her firmly enough to be deliberate but gently enough that if she wanted to, she could easily slide out of his grasp. It feels like she's looking at him for the first time there in the darkness of her room and she opens her mouth to speak.

"I can't." The worlds come out quiet but he can still hear them and his eyebrows knit together in thought, unsure of what she means at first. "I can't tell you to go," she elaborates. "I can't do that." She should, but she can't. The words won't come out because that's not what she wants.

"You'd better, because if you don't I'm going to kiss you." His hand squeezes her hip and the fabric of her robe feels so useless as a barrier between them. "I can't not kiss you."

She silently stares at him, too scared to just kiss him first but willing him with her mind to just do it, to move his face close to hers and kiss her because she's only been thinking about him kissing her since the moment she opened the door. And that's exactly what happens.

Darren tugs her hips forward and leans his head down a bit to kiss her and it's all his lips crashing against hers and it feels a little frantic, but Lea understands. It's frantic to her too, the frantic pace of her heart and she knows she's been wanting this for longer than she'd let herself admit, and frantic because she wants more of him and wants him closer and she wants it all right now. Her hands immediately reach for him, practically aching from the restraint it took for her to not reach out for him, to not tell him how right he was about everything, to not run into his arms when she opened the door or kiss him when she realized he had felt this too.

His damp tshirt is the first thing to go, and Lea doesn't know when exactly she pulled it off him or if it was Darren's doing but her fingertips love the feel of his skin against her hands with nothing acting as a barrier between the two of them. Sure, he's somehow still sweaty but Lea likes it, and it surprises her that she does, because this is not the kind of thing she'd normally find sexy but as Darren yanks off the sash of her robe and is pushing it off her shoulders and into a heap on the floor by her bare feet, Lea's mouth is sliding along his jaw and down his neck, her tongue darting out to trace the slope of his adam's apple. Darren groans in response, thumbs hooking over her shorts and pushing them down her hips as far as he can manage without actually bending over to pull them off himself.

Her hips shift and she manages to wiggle and kick her shorts off, her fingers grazing over his chest hair and he has a hand in her hair, already guiding her lips back to his mouth, his fingers clenching in the long dark waves, tugging her head back a bit so that the angle their mouths are aligned at now allows for his tongue to slide a bit deeper than before. Her reward for this is his free hand sliding up her tank top, his palm eagerly moving over her breast, only to find that the flimsy fabric is doing little to quell the effect he's having on her body. Her nipple is hard against his palm and he murmurs against her lips incoherently before pulling at the stretchy material so that his fingers can trace over her nipple with ease. His thumb draws lazy circles over her nipples before giving them a little pinch, just to hear what sound this elicits from her lips. Lea lets out a surprised gasp against his mouth, the sound itself obscene to his ears but in the most gorgeous kind of way. It makes him lick his lips.

Darren wastes no time in pulling her top off and drinking in the sight of her, bare chested in a pair of panties, Lea looks like she'd just been ravished. Which, Darren muses to himself, she has been. His fingers traces over the tattoo just below her left breast, against her ribcage. Part of him can't believe he has her like this, leaning against the back of an armchair in her hotel room, when hours ago he'd been downing drinks in an attempt to muster the courage it took to knock on her door. It's electric though, this sensation of his hands on her skin, and he untangles his fingers from her hair to press a hand against her smooth stomach, his fingers running over her pierced belly button before disappearing into her panties.

He's unsure why he is so surprised to find that she is already wet to the touch, but this new information just makes his dick even harder as it presses against the front of his jeans. Meanwhile, Lea's desperately trying to maintain her composure, despite the fact that his fingers are relentless because he is greedy, plain and simple. His fingers slide over her clit in slow circles, and she eventually gives up holding onto the back of the chair and instead grabs onto his shoulders. One of Lea's legs hooks around his hips and as far as he is concerned that's about as good as any invitation to slowly work one of his fingers inside of her. Darren finds himself fascinated with the faces she's making and the way her fingertips are digging into his shoulder. He hasn't even gone farther than the second knuckle of his finger before deciding to pull out and roll her clit between his fingers until she begins moaning desperately, neck falling back between her shoulders.

"_Please_," she whispers hotly, and Darren feels his cock twitch against the front of his jeans as she bucks her hips downwards against his hand, his entire finger slipping into her. His intention hadn't been to tease and torment her, but he isn't necessarily sorry either. He does comply with her wishes though, using another finger to work it's way in and out of her, curving his digits forward to press against her g-spot, causing Lea's body to jerk suddenly, her leg digging into the small of his back. Lea's practically purring with delight while he works his fingers in and out of her, going along with a rhythm he has spun in his head based on her ragged breathing and the pounding of his own heart that seems to echo in his ears. Lea doesn't speak, instead she lifts her leg a bit higher to grant him access to this new angle, which works just as well as any words she could have mustered. Darren's fingers thrust frantically against her wetness, knowing she's close when she lets out a cry against his shoulder before biting down in an effort to keep herself quiet. It almost works too, except Darren's already begun to flick his thumb against her cit while moving his wrist more rapidly than he thought he was capable of. She cries out and shakes against his body finally and he really can't help but feel a little triumphant.

Slowing his fingers before ceasing their movements completely, he kisses her repeatedly before removing his hand out from between her legs. Darren doesn't waste any time in pulling her panties down her legs, and is going so far as to bend over to help her out of them easily. He smiles at her, his tongue darting out to taste her on his fingertips briefly before using both his hands to grab her by the ass and lift her up around his waist without much effort at all. She has no idea where he is taking her, and honestly Lea's mind is still in a haze, her brain foggy and her body tingling all over up until he presses her against the wall.

Still in the process of catching her breath, Lea supports herself against the wall by wrapping her legs around his waist tightly and using his shoulders for leverage. They don't speak but they don't have to. Watching him, her eyes follow the movements of his hands as they dig around his pockets for something before he eventually produces the perfectly square foil package he'd been looking for. Lea doesn't want to know if he'd slid it into his pockets earlier that night with the intention of visiting her later or if it had been for his on again off-again girlfriend who had undoubtedly been at the show tonight. If Lea is honest with herself, it didn't really matter. It's not something she wants to think about.

Especially not when Darren is undoing his jeans, his fingers moving so quickly that in his haste he fumbles with the zipper first, and then with the condom after.

"Fuck," he hisses, all this commotion is going on underneath Lea's legs, and she can't see much but caught glimpses of his progress blow her legs, near his crotch and she raises an eyebrow when she hears his jeans hit the floor around his ankles. Darren's using her position while pinned against the wall as a way to allow him to keep her close against his body while also freeing himself from his pants.

As far as Lea can tell, he's done a fine job of that. Especially considering she is practically leering at him. Darren's thick fingers had suddenly blocked her view of him, which forces her to actually focus on his hands and how they are fumbling with the wrapper as opposed to the way her thoughts had been wandering to a place where all she could think about was how hard he was and how badly she wanted him inside of her. His fingers are visibly unsteady, and the condom slipps out of his hands, landing on Lea's stomach, stopping somewhere above her belly button piercing.

"Can I?" she asks quietly, her hands moving to grasp the condom between her fingertips. He looks frustrated and she understands. There is no question of who wanted this more. They both wanted it more than they could say.

"I want to," she said, and then she begins to do just that. Lea tears the condom open and can't help but smile has her hands move through the space between her legs, which are still comfortably wrapped around his waist. Her fingers venture further south until her hands brush against his cock which she feels pressing against the back of her thigh, and presses her palm against it before gingerly curling her fingertips around him. Darren growls, obviously anxious but Lea won't let herself be rushed. She traces her fingers up along the shaft and pauses only so she can rub her thumb over the head of his cock, achingly slow, loving the size and weight of him in her hands. It is obscene to think it, but he is beautiful, every last inch of him, and Lea wonders how it is possible for one man to be so sexy that just running her hand over his dick makes her feel lightheaded. It's not just the view of him, it's the sounds he's making, low and guttural, far lower than she's ever heard him be and the vibrations of each nonsensical syllable reverberates through her body, settling low in the pit of her stomach. Darren's hands dig into her outer thighs in response, and each grunt and frustrated but blissful sigh has him kneading his fingers roughly against her skin.

When Lea finally slides the condom on, he grabs her by the wrists, kissing her so hard she feels dizzy. One of Darren's hands shoots up and has awkwardly but effectively pinned her wrists above her head. Before she can even register the movement and consider what's next, Darren positions his hips between her legs and presses his length between her thighs. There is a beat, a short instant where Darren's breath is hot against her lips and he lets go of her hands in order to use his to hold her hips firmly, his breathing hitching a little and his eyes lidded- and she feels it. The wordless question that was always there between them; the one they are always dancing around.

Darren pushes into her in one swift movement, causing Lea to gasp and cling tightly to him. This wasn't the sort of slow tedious sex you always saw in movies that was supposed to signify romance. No, this is certainly more, it's more urgent and real and needy and desperate and it is the meeting of two bodies who have needed and hungered for this- in Lea's case, without realizing quite how much. The movement of his hips catches her by surprise since her mind is still reeling from the way he'd maneuvered his hand between her legs. She moans, grasping the scruff of his neck and the noise practically falls from her lips and into his mouth. All Lea can hear is the sound of his hips against her skin colliding over and over, and the feeling of him inside her, hard and fast and just… finally- yes, finally, it's all she can think of.

She doesn't realize it but she's been practically whimpering against his lips when the hand that's been resting above her hip falls and grabs one leg and then the other, palms-up and holding onto her from the backs of her thighs. The goal it seems, is to spread her legs further apart while simultaneously keeping her pressed against the wall and his body. He succeeds, though she finds that attempting to swivel her hips in this new position proves to be futile. She can hardly move them effectively at this angle and with her body propped up this way, she is helpless to do much besides arch her back and concentrate on breathing. With each thrust of his hips the sounds from her throat are increasingly strangled. So much for her conserving her voice, she thinks to herself.

Darren on the other hand seems to be lapping this up eagerly, using Lea's vocal cues to drive him further, to push deeper inside of her. Lowering his head he drags his mouth over one of her nipples, his tongue sliding over it before wrapping his lips around it hungrily. Darren makes her feel like she is an instrument specifically made for him to play- like the moans from her lips are notes in a melody only he can bring to life with his own flesh. Maybe that isn't too far from the truth.

And then he stops- stops so suddenly that she is snapped out of the reverie he's put her in by nearly fucking her senseless against a wall. In this sudden stillness she can feel him and it seems magnified, he's pressing against the insides of her, filling her up to the point that she lets out a whine at the lack of friction between their bodies and shifts her hips against his. Blinking open her eyes, she begins to realize that he is there- very much there in this particular moment, watching her writhe above him, a sly smirk on his lips before his hand cups her cheek and he kisses her long and hard. Like a reflex Lea's fingertips begin weaving through his curly hair, her fingers tugging gently, willing his face closer to hers. Why was it that even kissing like this with enough fervor that she felt like her lips might bruise- even being like this isn't close enough for her?

Snaking his hands around her waist, he mutters in a low voice against their flush lips, something about something and Lea isn't really in the frame of mind to think or even register what he's just said, and so his hands guide her instead and set her down from her perch against the wall to rest her feet against the floor. A look of confusion must have crossed her face for a split moment because he nudges his face against her neck, sucking at the skin near her collarbone before holding her hips firmly in his hands and turning her so that she was facing the wall.

Wide-eyed, Lea thinks she might have protested any other time, except right now she is standing there, palms flat against the wall as he guides her hips back toward his body and she can't think of a single reason she would want to move at all. For him the sight of her back arched and her ass just inches away from him must be rather appealing because he's gathered her hair over one of her shoulders and is pressesing a kiss between her shoulder blades before trailing a hand slowly down her spine.

It might be a matter of chemistry, she knows that. Her body is entirely at his mercy, waiting for what he might do next and the only possible catalyst in the entire equation is the man behind her with the messy head of hair who is currently using her ass as the ideal place to rest his hands. It feels good, and he doesn't speak, instead he just drags his lips over her shoulder and back somewhere against the base of her neck as the head of his cock pushes inside her slowly, a preface of what is yet to come. She holds her breath, her heart pounding against her chest and she realizes that not being able to see him there, Darren's face and what he is looking at… it just heightens her anticipation. Not sneaking a peak over her shoulder is an impossibility, and as her neck cranes back to get a glimpse, he pulls her by the hips onto him, making her knees tremble.

"Oh my God," she manages, the words sound thick breathed against her own shoulder. Standing like this, Lea is able to push herself back against his hips, hitting flush against them, going in time with his own thrusts and meeting him half way. The feeling is the same as before, hard and fast and now, right now- only this time it's even deeper.

Though her hands feebly attempt to clench and grasp for something, anything- they end up merely forming tight fists against the wall's surface. "_God_," she moans, this time louder, this time because Darren has decided after however many minutes of fucking her against the wall, that he is going to reach around and work his digits between her legs. Lea's cheek is pressed flush against the wall, thankful it happens to be a cool surface and she concentrates on grinding against him, trying so hard to remember how to stand. Her mind wills her legs not to turn to jell-o, wills herself to not just completely lose it just because she is so overwhelmed by each touch, and does her best to last. She doesn't want to come yet. How hasn't he come yet? He is supposed to be worn out and utterly spent after performing and yet here he is, giving her the best encore she's had in her entire life.

Darren's doing things with his fingers that have her knuckles turning white while he's thrusting into her so hard she has to bite her lip to keep herself from shouting loud enough to wake up the entire floor. Darren's left hand slides up her stomach and against her chest, both his arms enveloping her now, and he grasps her breast against his hand, his palm cupping and pressing against it as their bodies move on their own accord and he rolls her nipple between his thumb and index finger enough to get another high-pitched gasp out of her. Propping his chin against her shoulder, his breathing is loud against her skin, more like panting than anything else, and his arms entwine around her so her back is flush against his chest, their hips still crashing together, needy for release.

His voice breaks through her own thoughts. "You're beautiful," his hand was wrapped beneath her breasts now, smoothing over her skin. "It's unreal." He sounds like he is in disbelief and it's silly but her heart aches in her chest from the words- it hadn't hit her how badly she'd wanted to hear him say that until now. She wants to hear him say it all the time. It's like he is everywhere and Lea can't fight it anymore. Between his words and his hands on her body and the way he is hitting the sweetest spot deep inside of her, she lets it all go and surrenders, crying out as she comes, her body jerking within the circle of his embrace. He's there to catch her though, his arms supporting her as she found herself partially leaning against the wall for the support she desperately needs. Darren doesn't last much longer, and follows after her, his arms tightening his hold on her and Lea's hand covering his, squeezing gently as his movements eventually slow to a complete stop.

In the silent moments that follow, where all she could hear was the sound of his breathing, Lea thinks of what she should say. She feels at a bit of a loss, and her words seem small compared to what has just transpired between them. Darren pulls out of her then, seemingly hesitant at first when it came to letting her out of his embrace.

"Darren I-"

But he doesn't let her finish before he scoops her up in his arms, stepping over their discarded clothes on the floor and carrying her across the room and taking her to bed. It's funny, but she can't help but smile up at him, touching his face gently, her eyes beaming at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Hold on. Wait right here a second, okay?"

"...Okay."

Not even bothering to put on any particular item of clothing, Darren moves around the room in the darkness, and Lea allows herself to sink against the pillows, feeling spent and hot and really tired. She can hardly feel anything below her waist. He's reduced her to a sweaty mess, and she can't exactly say she minded very much. Silently she watches him as he traverses the room, hearing him toss something out in the wastebasket and seeing him crouch down on the floor. There is a rustling and then the crinkling of a paper bag before he stands up again, stark naked and walking over to her, holding it above his head proudly while giving her a huge grin. The sight of him is perfect, not a stitch of clothing on and yet Lea can't tear her eyes away from his smile or those eyes that seem to be glued on her at all times.

"What's that?"

Darren laughs, sounding sheepish. "I realize my intentions don't really seem all that noble now but… I uh," he sits beside her and hands her a small white paper bag. "I brought you these earlier. I came here to give it to you. I thought it would make you smile."

Peering inside the bag, Lea raises a curious eyebrow, before realizing what it's contents are.

"You bought me cookies," she says, beaming.

"Correction: I bought you _vegan double chocolate chip_ cookies." He seems very proud of this. "I know they're your favorite."

Nodding she breaks a piece off of one, waving it in the air between them as she gesticulates. "They are. Double chocolate anything, really. But cookies especially." Lea finally pops the piece of cookie into her mouth and Darren takes the opportunity to sprawl out beside her, looking to see her reaction. "Oh man," she speaks through the bite, her hand flying to her lips immediately afterwards. "These are amazing. Where'd you even find a place to get these at this hour?"

Darren is practically bursting with pride. "We're in New York. That's pretty much the easy part. There's always a place open."

He's right. Lea holds out the remainder of the cookie for him so that he can take some. Instead of breaking off a piece Darren simply leans in close to take a giant bite of cookie, leaving a cartoonish looking bite mark on what is left of the cookie in her hands. Lea shakes her head, grinning.

"I can't believe you got me cookies." As if that is the most unbelievable part of what has happened tonight.

Darren simply shrugs. "Yeah, well…" moving his arm to settle behind her shoulders, pulling her body closer to his. "I try." Lea sets down the remaining contents of the bag on the night stand, and slips back to her previous position, resting her head against his shoulder. It feels like the most natural thing in the world to lie there with him, her leg draped over his, and her hand pressed against his chest. It feels like exactly where she wants to be.

"Listen, Lea-" His hand moves to grab hers as it smoothed over his chest, feeling his heartbeat. Their fingers lace together automatically, and before he even finishes his thought Lea feels like she just knows what he is going to say.

"I know you have someone. Well, actually we both do… but I'll understand if this has to be a one time thing. You know? I understand." His voice is quieter now, and she watches their joined hands as he speaks. "I wouldn't like it but, I'd understand. And I'd never tell anyone about it if that's what you wanted. It could be like it never happened."

Lea frowns. This isn't cut and dry. This is officially messy and complicated and she has honestly never imagined she'd be the type of person to cheat on anybody. This has sort of just happened without any warning, despite how much she'd subconsciously wanted it to happen. What can she say? Between each word he spoke Lea felt that there was something there he was biting back, and she keeps thinking about how this changed absolutely everything.

"You probably shouldn't have come here tonight," she begins quietly, and she feels Darren become very still.

"I know."

"But you did."

"Yeah." He swallows. "I did."

Lea lifts her head from his shoulder and looks into his eyes, "Do you think this was a mistake?"

They stare at one another for a few moments before he finally speaks. "Do you want the truth or do you want the pill that's easier to swallow?"

"I don't care about what's easier. Just be honest."

"It wasn't a mistake." His hand slips into her messy hair. "Not for me."

They've shifted in bed so they're inches apart, simply looking at each other. She lets his words sink in for a moment, and from the way he's looking at her, the way he says it, the way he's touching her, Lea believes him and it makes her heart beat even faster.

"I have a two year relationship on the line here," her voice is quiet and something flashes in Darren's eyes, like he somehow knew this was coming but doesn't actually want to hear it. He doesn't move, doesn't say anything. "But," she continues in a whisper. "If I was going to walk away from that for anyone, it would be _you_."

This time when their lips collide, his hand is gently cupping her face, sliding his thumb over the apple of her cheek and she can feel that the grin on his lips matches hers without actually seeing it.


End file.
